He is telling them what a cold bitch she turned into, once they were married. His justification for his relationships with other women is likely, ‘s...e pushed him away, and he had no choice but to seek out other women’. His friends are probably being sympathetic and supportive of him, also. I suspect they are making similar comments about women. To me ‘woman bashing’ is just as bad as ‘male bashing’.“The reason these three women, Amy’s husband, and his friends are wrong about who is responsible. Again it was humourless which Tom noted. "Only one representative has been invited. Rather you than me. If asked I had a previous engagement which I was unable to change." Ah! OK, I understand."He did not. It seemed to him that the company was not showing sufficient appreciation at being invited to what at this stage would only be an outline of the project. He wondered at Clive's motives. His distrust in the man intensified. Briony was right. Mr Slime was becoming a more apt nickname as time. Douglas watched her enter the office and frowned. Wearing a drab outfit, she looked wrong somehow, he pictured her wearing black silk lingerie underneath, but one look on her face told him differently. The image vanished easily as he inspected her expression. ‘What happened? Did your boyfriend dump you?’ it sounded all wrong yet he couldn’t say it any other way. She glanced up at him with such trusting eyes it was like a knife twisting in his back for all the things he had thought about doing. " Now that is a superb offer," her mother exclaimed. "That would save you the long commute." Obviously I wouldn't have you cooking for me and washing clothes," Jennie said warmly.Her mother smiled. "You managed well enough in your bed-sitter before. And it does sound like a splendid chance."Her stepfather was panicking completely, seeing the source of a much needed £200 a week slipping out of his hands. "I will not have it!" he barked. "Our daughter should not be a kept woman Vera!" What ever.